Syrian government condemns attacks that killed 120

February 22, 2016, 10:50 AM IST

Cairo: The Syrian government has condemned the terrorist attacks that hit the Shia district of Sayyidah Zaynab, on the outskirts of Damascus and the Al Zahraa district in Homs, north of Damascus, with at least 120 dead.

According to a statement released on Sunday, Syrian Prime Minister Wael al Halqi said these attacks seek to “boost the morale of the collapsed terrorist groups especially after the great victories that the Syrian Army is achieving.”

The explosions were “attempts to obstruct the efforts of some countries to establish security and stability in Syria,” Efe news agency quoted him as saying.

The prime minister held Turkey and some Arab governments responsible for the “cowardly explosions”, though he did not specify which governments he was referring to.

He underlined that Syria insists on defeating terrorism, restoring security and stability in its territory and achieving national reconciliation.

Al Halqi expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the blasts and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

The Islamic State (IS) on Sunday claimed responsibility for the six bombing attacks in the Syrian cities of Homs and Damascus.

Four attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 62 people and injured 180 in the Sayyidah Zaynab district, according to figures from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Moreover, according to the same source, a twin car bombing in the central district of Al Zahraa, in Homs, caused the death of 57 people.

The majority of inhabitants in the Sayyidah Zaynab district are of the Alawite sect, a Shia sect to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs.

According to the data from the UN, in nearly five years of war 260,000 people have lost their lives in Syria and more than 12 million Syrians, including 5,500,000 children, need immediate humanitarian assistance.